Automatic electric change-over for moving picture machine shutters



Nov. 19, 1935.

C. E. HALL AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CHANGE-OVER FOR MOVING PICTURE MACHINESHUTTERS Original Filed Feb. 20, 1951 CECIL E HALL Patented Nov. 19,1935 PATENT oFncE AUTOMATIC ELECTRIC CHANGE-OVER FOR MOVING PICTURESHUTTERS Cecil E. Hall. l-reeport,

per cent to D. W. Scott,

Ten. assignor of live In, Freeport. Tex and seven per cent .to Geo. D.Reeves, Brazoria County, Tex.,' and eighty-eight per Gladys LehdeApplication February 20,

Renewed September 30,

4 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in mechanism for operating theshutters to close off the showing of the film on the screen inconnection with moving picture machines.

With the advent of talking pictures it is essential that the change-overof one machine to the other be complete, instantaneous, and at the exactinstant when the film reaches the desired position and when the soundapparatus is also in the proper position. As is now the practice it isnecessary for the operator, in some installations, to manipulate onecontrol to change over the machine, one control to change over the soundapparatus, and one control to change over the shutters which govern theexposure of the filmv to the screen. In some installations thechangeover of the film and the sound mechanism is accomplishedsimultaneously so that it is necessary for the operator to perform twoor three distinct operations almost simultaneously in order to eflect aperfect change-over. The arrangement of the machines and controls inmany installations make such a change-over practically impossible andnecessitates the presence of at least two operators inorder to effect acomplete change-over in the proper manner.

It is one of the objects of this invention to provide a mechanism incombination with the sound and machine change-over which will enable theoperator to perform the change-over by a single movement of one controland particularly so that the shutterson the front wall of the booth willbe changed over at the-same time that the change-over in the soundmechanism is accomplished.

Another object of the invention is to couple a mechanism with the soundchange-over so that the shutters on the booth will be changed-overautomatically.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pair of shutters wiredinto a circuit which is controlled by a manipulation of themoving-picture machine change-over.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanism whichwill operate auto matically to open one shutter and close the oppositeshutter in accordance with the machine which is to be placed inoperation.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the front wall of a moving picture machinebooth which has been equipped with the invention.

- It is usual to place the fader 3 as indicated on cent to 1931, sci-inNo. 517,234

Fig. 2 is an elevation taken at right angles to Fig. i and showing theautomatic change-over switch.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the section line of Fig. 2, and lookinginthe direction of the arrow.

The invention will be understood by having reference to Fig. lwhereinthe front wall of the booth is indicated at 2. Mounted on this wall as apart of the standard installation of talking 10 picture machines is acontrol apparatus indicated at 3 and designated as a fader. This faderis of standard construction and does not constitute a part of thisinvention, but includes a mechanism for changing both the film and thesound mecha- 15 nism from one machine to another in order that acontinuous showing of the film on the screen may be accomplished. 4indicates a lever which may be used to cut out either the film or thedisc when it is desired to change-over either one, 20 independently ofthe other, so that any desired sound may be used with any picture.

Control of the fader is accomplished by means of a dial 5 which iscarried by a bearing 6, and is connected with a shaft 1. Numerals 8 areprovided on the dial 5 so that the operator may know the amount of soundwhich is to be used in connection with the particular film or soundmechanism then in use. The digit 0 indicated at 9 is the zero, orchange-over point so that when the dial 5 is rotated so that this digit0 passes the arrow Ill one machine will be thrown into operation and theother machine will be discontinued. This iader derives its name due tothe fact that it fades the sound from one disc or record into the nextdisc or record, so that the change-over is not perceptible to theaudience and this change-over occurs when the dial 5 is rotated so thatthe zero 0 passes the arrow 10.

40 the front wall 2 of the booth and directly between the two movingpicture machineswhich have not been shown. This position is inconvenientfor the operator to manipulate the machine and for this reason the shaft1 is extended at H and has mounted thereoimwhat is known as the dummyfader 5'. This dummy fader is identical with the dial 5 but is in aconvenient position for the operator to manipulate the same.

In changing over from one machine to another it is necessary that theexposure of the film on the screen be cut off from the machine which isto be discontinued and which has exhausted its roll of film, and themachine which is being placed in operation must be so -operu ated thatits film will be exposed simultaneously with the cutting of! of theother film. It is usual to have openings such as I! and ii in the frontwall of the booth, and it is through these openings that the light rayspass to the screen in the front of the theatre. Shutters I1 and i8 serveto close the openings l5 and i6, respectively, and it is the operationof these shutters and the control thereof as a function of the faderwhich is involved in this invention. The shutters I! and I8 areidentical, and for purposes of illustration the mounting of the shutteri! will be described. This shutter is carried by a rod 20 which isdisposed in a horizontal position and may in itself serve as a core forthe solenoids 2i and 22, or the core of the solenoids may be connectedto the rod In either event, it is intended that when either of thesolenoids are energized the rod 2:) will be moved. and carry with it theshutter 5. In the pos tion as shown in Fig. 1 when the solenoid 2% isenergized the rod 20 will be moved to the left, so that the shutter i!will move over and cover the opening 15 to close off the exposure offilm from the machine which is showing through this opening l5, whereasthe solenoid 22 serves to move the shutter to open position so thatexposure may occur through the opening i5. jacent the end of thesolenoids so that the rod 20 or the core of the solenoids will not movebeyond a predetermined position.

The solenoids 2i and 22 are wired into an electric circuit indicated at25 which may preferably be the usual 110 volt alternating current supplyline available from a central source of power. This line as usualcontains the positive wire 25 and the negative wire 21. The negativewire 2'! is'grounded to the wires 28 and 29 which are in turn connectedwith the solenoids 2| and 22. The positive wire 26 is connected with theswitch 30 which controls the operation of the solenoids 2i and 2 2.

The grounding of the wires eliminates the possibility of a sparkoccurring when the mechanism operates and insures safety of theattachment. While two sets of solenoids have been shown it is intendedthat the rod 20 may be extended to carry both shutters and thus onesolenoid 2| and one solenoid 22 may be dispensed with.

The switch 30 is best seen in elevation in Fig. 2 and includes thecenter blade or finger ii and the contacts 32 and 33. The finger II ismounted on a pivot at 3 so that it may oscillate to come into engagementwith either of the contacts 32 or 33. A fiat spring 35 is shown aspositioned so that the finger II will normally be retained in a verticalposition by frictional engagement with this spring. In this manner anytendency to vibration on the part of the finger will be eliminated andits swinging movement will be damped so that a single impulse will betransmitted to the solenoids when the finger ii is moved and it will beimpossible for the finger 3! to swing on the opposite side of the centerand make an engagement with the other contact. The finger 3| is shown ashaving a wire 26 connected thereto through the pivot 24. The contacts 22and 32 are connected with wires 21 and 28, respectively, which extend tothe windinss of the solenoids 2i and 22.

Stop members 22 are provided ad- In order that operation of the finger3| may be accomplshed simultaneously with the movement of the faderdial, a cam ll has been fixed to the shaft I I in a proper radialposition, so that it will engage with the head Ii on the finger 5 3!.The cam 40 is beveled on each side at 42 so that it will gradually movethe finger 3i away from its vertical position and into position of oneof the contacts 22 or 23 depending upon the direct'on of rotation of thefader. The cam ll is so positioned that the circuit to the solenoidswill be closed by engagement with the finger 3| and the proper contactat the same time that the zero 0 on the fader dial passes the arrow IS.The closing of the circuit to the solenoids will energize that solenoidwhich will exert a pull on the rod and move the shutters in thedirection desired. As seen in Fig. l the shutter i1 is in open positionand the shutter i8 is in closed position, so that in each instance thesolenoid on 20 the left hand side will beenergized to accomplish thedesired movement of the shutter, and the wiring has been illustrated asarranged to accomplish this result.

While a certain form has been shown of the switch 38 it is intended thatthis switch may take any desired form as it is broadly the intention tocouple up the operation of the shutters with the operation of the faderso that the operator may accomplish the change-over of the shutters atthe same time that he accomplishes change-over of the machine and thesound mechanism.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a plurality of sound moving picture machines, amanually operated fader therefor, shutters for said machines, meansincluding an electric circuit and a switch therein to operate saidshutters as a function of the operation of said fader. and additionalmeans operable by said fader to actuate said switch to cause movement ofsaid shutters.

2. In a sound moving picture change over control system, a manuallyoperated fader,anelectric 45 switch, cam means attached to said faderfor moving said switch when said fader is moved to change over, andadditional means including electrically operated projection shutterscontrolled by said switch.

3. In a sound moving picture change-over control system, a fader, anelectric switch, a cam means attached to said fader, a finger on saidswitch for moving said switch when said fader cam is moved, andadditional means including 56 electrically operated projection shutterscontrolled by said switch, whereby the change-over and shutter operationwill occur simultaneously and upon operation of the fader.

4. In combination, a pair of sound moving pic- 00 ture machines and achange-over control system, said system including shutters for saidmachines, a sound fader associated with said machines. means to actuatesaid fader comprising an elongated shaft having graduated dials spacedtherealong, an electric switch operable by said shaft and adapted tocontrol an electric circuit to open and close the respective shutterswhereby the machines and sound records are changed over simultaneously.7o

cacmamur.

